" At this Zoulmekan rejoiced, and they fell to
giving each other joy of the victory, whilst the Vizier Dendan
also congratulated them and said to them "Know, O Kings, that God
hath given us the victory, for that we have devoted ourselves to
Him (to whom belong might and majesty) and have left our homes
and families: and it is my counsel that we follow up the foe and
press upon them and harass them; it may be God shall bring us to
our desire and we shall destroy our enemies. If it please you, do
ye embark in the ships and sail upon the sea, whilst we fare
forward by land and bear the brunt of the battle." And he ceased
not to urge them to action, repeating the following verses:
The goodliest of delights it is one's foes to slay And on the
backs of steeds the spoil to bear away.
Oft comes a messenger with promise of a friend, And the friend
comes himself without a trysting-day.
And these also:
As I live, I will make of war my mother and the spear My brother
and the sword my father, and for fere
I will take each shag-haired warrior that meets death with a
smile, As if to die in battle were e'en his wish most dear!
"Glory be to God," continued he, "Who hath vouchsafed us His
almighty aid and hath given us spoil of silver and fine gold!"
Then Zoulmekan commanded to depart; and the army set out and
fared on, by forced marches, toward Constantinople, till they
came to a wide and blooming champaign, full of all things fair,
with wild cattle frisking and gazelles passing to and fro.
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